Centerfire rifles - your path

My list is pretty weak….

.270 Win in a Winchester Model 70
7mm Rem Mag in a Browning A Bolt Medallion
7mm Rem Mag in a Weatherby Vanguard
30-06 in a Weatherby Vanguard
300 Roy in a Weatherby Mark V (x2)
.22 in a Marlin bolt action
 
In chronogical order:

WWII Springfield 30-06 my dad fixed up - gifted to me 1964.
in the case.jpg
40-60 Marlin Model 1881 - purchased for $75 circa 1970.
Marlin2.JPG
30-06 Model 760 Remington - gifted to me 1996 from Dad. Grandad bought it for him shortly after I was born 1952.
760 deer rifle.jpg
404 Jeffery I built on a circa WWII Brno vz.24 8mm 98 Mauser action April-August 2023. Just over $2K.
20240420_112851.jpg
I hunt with all of them but the Marlin.
 
I dont even want to list them. Lets says I have a few, but could be more. Still a few wants out there still. Definitely dont shoot them all.

6 or 7 different rimfire 22’s
5 AR 223’s
1 AR 224 Valkyrie
2 AR blanks
22-250 Savage 12FV
243 Ruger American
6.5 CM Savage
308 Savage
7-08 Howa
30-06 from Grandpa ( need some info one day on this)
300prc CA

Feel like I’m missing a few…

So far I have felt bad for any Ive sold.
 
40 some years ago I got started like many. I used my semi auto shotgun for everything.
A bag full of bird shot, turkey shot and some slugs. I could barely afford the gas to get to and around the woods.

At that time the lack of finances drove equipment purchases with many want and needs and little cash to satisfy them. Fortunately there was no internet at the time
to let me know how sorry my set up was.

Next came a marlin 30/30 I bought at Service Merchandise for $125. Someone had unwittingly purchased it for their kid as a plinking gun and returned it when they learned a 22 might be better. I watched it get marketed down from $175 to $150 $10 a week. When it got down to 150 I told the manager I would take if he would sell it for $125. He said he would but no return privilege. So I bought it. I was in the centerfire hunting business.

A few years later came my first bolt gun. A like new ruger tanger in 30-06 with a tasco
Scope. I bought it from my brother for $100. He got it as boot in a car deal , had no use for it and needed the $100 to take out a girl he just met. Holy smokes I was in high cotton.

I quickly upgraded the scope for $100 Bushnell Trophy 3-9. At least I could see out it as that old tasco was really crap. Even I knew that with my limited knowledge.

I used that ruger for 2 decades and killed hundreds of game animals. Then came internet and I discovered to my dismay that my rifle was not up to the task. But by then finances were no longer a barrier between wants and needs. I found myself with more money than sense and smack dab in the middle of the magnum craze.

So with my new found knowledge and full bank account my next purchase was
Two Weatherby rifles, a Deluxe in 300 wby and a Accumark in 270 wby.
And of course two swaro scopes. It didnt take long to realize that those rifles were too much for hunting whitetails in Alabama and hogs in Florida.

I went back to my old ruger 30-06 for a year. Then on to a Remington 700 xcr 2 in 270 w. Eventually purchasing a MRC x2 in 7mm08 which I still use today as my primary deer rifle.

At 62 it is likely I will finish out with the 7mm08 and the 270.
I still have every rifle I ever purchased.
 
Going with centerfire bolt gun only:

*Sportirized Enfield .303 British (First centerfire rifle I ever shot at around age 9. It has a brass butt plate and it will let you know it haha)

Hunted many years with lever 30-30.

For a hot minute I had a Remington 700 adl .270, wood stock that was beat to crap. Paid $200 for it from a gun going through a divorce. The fairly new Nikon scope on it was worth $250. Kept the scope and traded the rifle for a brand new 870.

Remington 700 .30-'06 stainless synthetic adl walmart special and put that nikon on it. Hunted with this rifle for many years.

Mosin Nagant 7.62x54r
Spanish Mauser in .308
Savage 110 .223
*Swedish Mauser 6.5x55
*Winchester 770 .30-06
Xbolt stalker .30-06
Bergara Timber .30-06
Xbolt eclipse 6.5 creedmoor
Xbolt stalker 6.5 creedmoor
Tikka 223
Weatherby Mark V Weathermark 243

I traded the tikka 223 for a tikka 308 stainless hunter to match my 6.5 and starting to regret it.

I sold a bunch of guns off trying to get down to just handful of guns I use more. Also to fund better scopes and more ammo for more practice.

Currently in the line up for bolt guns:
Tikka stainless hunter in 308 and 6.5
Tikka 243
Xbolt speed ovix .30-'06
Definitely going to be adding another 223 bolt action to the table soon. Maybe another tikka or possibly a Xbolt

*inherited and a still own
 
I wish I had the funds to afford more, but honestly I have now more than I use on a regular basis.
Ruger 10/22
CVA Optima V2 .50 cal muzzle loader
Winchester model 94, 30-30
Remington 700, 30-06
Tikka T3x compact .308 Win
I hunt mostly with the Tikka as it is about 3/4 inch longer than my model 94. It is a pleasure to carry in the woods all day, and very quick and agile to target.
 
Mine started with a lowly Glenfield 30A 30-30 purchased from a local auto parts store sometime around 1980.
IMG_2860.jpegI took my first buck and a handful more deer before I thought I needed more gun so I bought a 7mmMag. From there I’ve added to my modest collection over the years.

IMG_2862.jpegTop is my Ruger MKII 300WM then REM 700 in 7mm and another REM 700 in 7-08. These three see the most use.


IMG_2863.jpegTwo fairly recent rebarrels. Top is a Ruger MKII 6.5-06 and the other is a Browning A Bolt in 338-06.


IMG_2861.jpegA Ruger Hawkeye in 375 Ruger, because why not?

Honorable mention:
IMG_2864.jpegMarlin guide gun 45-70 and Ruger 44 Mag
 
Mine started with a lowly Glenfield 30A 30-30 purchased from a local auto parts store sometime around 1980.
View attachment 327157I took my first buck and a handful more deer before I thought I needed more gun so I bought a 7mmMag. From there I’ve added to my modest collection over the years.

View attachment 327158Top is my Ruger MKII 300WM then REM 700 in 7mm and another REM 700 in 7-08. These three see the most use.


View attachment 327160Two fairly recent rebarrels. Top is a Ruger MKII 6.5-06 and the other is a Browning A Bolt in 338-06.


View attachment 327161A Ruger Hawkeye in 375 Ruger, because why not?

Honorable mention:
View attachment 327162Marlin guide gun 45-70 and Ruger 44 Mag
I appreciate the lefty collection!
 
Two pages and not a single photo... this disgusts me

I’ve never understood overloading the safe with big game hunting cartridges. You can shoot them a few times a year, but they just aren’t that pleasant to shoot.

I live where there are lots of varmints, so I have lots of varmint guns that I shoot regularly, from 17 HMR to 6mm Remington…





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